The Spaniard who was until earlier this year Superior General of the Jesuits has written a series of reminiscences about his conversations with Pope Francis, published in two parts in the Spanish Jesuit publication Mensajero.
Father Adolfo Nicolás, SJ, wrote them while spending some weeks in his native country before heading for the Philippines capital, Manila, where he now lives.
Beyond whatever value for observers of the papacy his recollections contain, they have real historic importance, particularly for the Society of Jesus.
They are, of course, the first ever conversations between a Jesuit Superior General and a Jesuit pope.
Nicolás and Francis developed a close bond right from the start, as the new pope sought to re-establish a close working relationship with his order following decades of suspicion and coldness.
In an anecdote that quickly shot round Rome in those first days of the new papacy, Francis directly called Nicolás the day after his election, sending the receptionist at the Jesuit curia into a tailspin of confusion. (“If you’re the pope, I’m Napoleon,” Nicolás says the receptionist thought, but did not say).
After they spoke, Francis promised to call back to arrange a meeting.
In an interesting anecdote for historians of the papacy, when he did so, the Sunday after his election, Francis told Nicolás: “Come to the Santa Marta because tomorrow I’m moving to the Apostolic Palace and I’ve got more freedom here.”
In other words, says Nicolás, “the decision to stay in the Santa Marta was taken at the last moment.”
This confirms the stories that it was only when he went to the Apostolic Palace and saw it — an endless chain of rooms, each leading into the next — that Francis opted to stay in the more friendly and open guesthouse.
Nicolás was amazed in his conversations by how aware the pope was of how he was viewed, and the criticisms against him.
Francis told him on one occasion: “They criticize me, first, because I don’t speak like a pope, and second, because I don’t act like a king.” Continue reading
Sources
- Crux article by Austin Ivereigh
- Image: Catholic Herald